Position: 54 24.95 S 071 15.44 W
At anchor Puerto King, Isla Grande de
Tierra Del Fuego
Wind: SW, F3-4 gentle moderate breeze
Weather: Mostly
cloudy. Cold.
Days run: 42 nm
Again up before the sun to catch the weather fax and get ready for the day’s
sail. The forecast was favourable and we were away a little after nine,
which was pretty good because in addition to the usual morning chores, namely
cleaning up and securing for sea down below, recovering and stowing shore lines,
hoisting and lashing down the dinghy, stowing the heater chimney, and of course
weighing anchor, I had to shovel a good four to six inches of snow off the deck,
at least the worst of it.
Once aweigh and away we motored out into the channels and just over an hour
later we were out into Canal Cockburn, a nice wide channel that is the
southwest entrance to the Magellan Straits. Being open to
the Southern Ocean a two meter swell greeted us but the seas were mild and
once into Canal Cockburn proper we could bear away and run before the nice
following southwest breeze, so that the swell was behind us, was barely
perceptible and ony helped to push us on our way. With the wind right astern I
poled the jib out, wing on wing, which had us making good a very nice six
knots plus. As we got further into Canal Cockburn the swell diminished,
evetually to nothing and we even enjoyed quite a bit of sun for the day, which
Bob Cat decided to boldly investigate and I had to gently dissuade him from
venturing outside the cockpit. I think he was looking for a better spot in the
sunshine, the angles were obviously all wrong inside the cockpit and there was
still quite a bit of snow scattered about.
An uneventful day at last - hooray! We were running square under
full sail for nearly all of it and made good 42 miles, all in the right
direction without a single tack.
We are now at anchor in a secure looking bay called Puerto King on Isla
Grande del Tierra Del Fuego. Curry for dinner.
All is well.
Bob Cat:
Now that is more like it, our abode nice and steady, even a bit of sunshine,
though not too keen on this cold white stuff on deck, yes snow. I am not
completely ignorant, after all I am from north east USA. Let me tell you about
snow, preferably from the comfort of a warm soft feminine lap sitting in an
armchair beside a cosy log fire. Ah, memories! I think I will sleep on it …
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
